GB2235625A

GB2235625A - Artificial grass surface

Info

Publication number: GB2235625A
Application number: GB9019771A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth James Bell
Original assignee: FOSSE CONTRACTS Ltd
Current assignee: FOSSE CONTRACTS Ltd
Priority date: 1989-09-09
Filing date: 1990-09-10
Publication date: 1991-03-13
Also published as: GB9019771D0

Abstract

A base comprising e.g. concrete, tarmacadam or a rubber mat 12 has secured thereto female strips of VELCRO 24 which co-operate with corresponding male strips of VELCRO 20 on the underside of sections having an artificial grass surface 16. Thus the sections are removably secured upon the base 12 and can readily be replaced individually when they become worn. <IMAGE>

Description

Title - Artificial Grass Surface The present invention relates to an artificial grass surface and particularly, but not exclusively, to such surface for a golf mat.

Artificial grass surfaces have been known for around twenty years for sports, patios, roof gardens and the like. Artificial grass golf mats are also known, one known mat having a size of 1.5 metres by 1 metre, the mat being inset into a teeing off area for example. A practical difficulty with this known mat is that although wear tends to occur in a relatively small area, after a period of time the whole mat has to be replaced even though only a small part of its surface is worn.

In accordance with the broadest aspect of the present invention there is provided an artificial grass surface comprising a base to which sections of artificial grass or sections having an artificial grass surface are removably secured, and which cover at least part of the base.

In the broadest aspect of the invention the base may be of concrete or tarmacadam for example. In a golf mat however, the base is a mat, conveniently of shredded rubber, typically composed of old vehicle tyres, moulded into a composite sheet.

The removable securing of the sections to the base may be achieved by the use of VELCRO (Registered Trade Mark), strips of Velcro being applied round the edges of the sections and preferably also a part of the central area. In the alternative, the whole of the rear surface of the artificial grass surface may have Velcro applied to it.

If desired, the sections may be a strip of between say 50 millimetres and 150 millimetres in length.

The backing of the two Velcro components may be secured to the rear of the sections and the base respectively by the use of any convenient adhesive, but most preferably a waterproof adhesive is used.

By means of the invention any area of the artificial grass surface which is subject to repeated wear can be replaced without the need to replace the whole of the surface.

An embodiment of this invention will now be described in detail by way of example only, but with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sectional view through an artificial grass surface and base of this invention; and Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of a tile of the surface of Figure 1 in position on a rubber base.

The illustrated artificial grass surface (generally designated 10) comprises generally a base having removably secured thereto a plurality of artificial grass sections, in the form of tiles 14. The tiles 14 comprise a layer of artificial grass 16, which is affixed by waterproof adhesive 17 to a layer of male VELCRO (Registered Trade Mark) 20. Attached to a layer of rubber 12 again by the use of waterproof adhesive are female strips of Velcro 24 which co-operate with those male strips of VELCRO 20 on the underside of the artifical grass 16.

A base may either be of concrete or tarmacadam: if used for example in a golf mat, the base can be a rubber mat 13 as shown in Figure 2 and in this case the female VELCRO 24 is adhesively fixed directly onto the rubber mat 13. When artifical grass 16 is used on a tarmac adam or concrete base the rubber layer 12 is placed directly thereon and provides the base onto which replacement section(s) of artifical grass may be fixed.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the tiles 14 can be juxtaposed one adjacent another to form the required complete and/or replacement surface. When an area of the artificial grass becomes worn it is possible simply to remove those worn tiles 14 and replace them with new tiles, the new tiles again being removably secured to the base by use of the VELCRO strips.

Claims

1 An artificial grass surface comprising a base to which sections of artificial grass or sections having an artificial grass surface are removably secured and which cover at least part of the base.

2 An artificial grass surface according to claim 1, in which the sections of artificial grass are tiles.

3 An artificial grass surface according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the base is made of concrete or tarmacadam.

4 An artificial grass surface according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the base is a rubber mat.

5 An artificial grass surface according to any one of claims

1 to 4, in which the removable securing of the sections to the base is achieved by the use of strips of VELCRO (registered trade mark).

6 An artificial grass surface according to any of claims 1 to 5, in which at least one of the sections is a strip between 50 millimetres and 150 millimetres in length.

7 An artificial grass surface as hereinbefore defined with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.